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Second Thargoid War
The Second Thargoid War is an ongoing interstellar conflict between humanity, primarily represented by the multinational xenological research organization Aegis and a volunteer militia of independent pilots, and the Thargoids. As no communication has been established between both sides, the hostilities are speculated to have arisen over a territorial and resource dispute centered on the Pleiades Nebula, which was seeded with Thargoid Barnacles at some point before human efforts to colonize the region began in 3301. While it is unclear which side struck first, the Thargoids have attacked numerous human Starports, Settlements, and Ships throughout the Pleiades and the Core Systems with little or no provocation, and at the present time humanity has been forced on the defensive against a technologically-superior foe. Background Encounters with the unknown In early 3301, Unknown Artefacts were discovered among the cargoes of secret Federal convoys. Their discovery marked the first indication that Thargoids yet existed in the depths of space, though the Artefacts, as well as the similar Unknown Probes that would be found orbiting ammonia worlds in 3302, would not be conclusively linked to the Thargoids until later. Some CMDRs believed that the Artefacts and Probes originated from an entirely unknown alien race, while others asserted that they were examples of experimental human technology. Disputes and speculation over the objects continued for months. Barnacles were also discovered in 3302 in the vicinity of the Pleiades Nebula, but their even more pronounced organic appearance also stymied analysis. On August 30, 3302, the first alien crash site was discovered on a planet in the Pleiades Sector AB-W b2-4 system by CMDRs Noctrach and Ihazevich. The wreckage was later confirmed by Aegis to be a Thargoid Interceptor that had crashed over 100 years ago.Galactic News: Speculation over Thargoid ShipGalnet News - Galactic News: Mysterious Wreckage Discovered On January 5, 3303, Commander DP Sayre reported the first known encounter with an Unknown Ship, which was later confirmed to be a type of Thargoid vessel and officially reclassified as a Thargoid Interceptor. The Unknown Ship interdicted the CMDR from hyperspace and apparently scanned him before departing to an untraceable destination. The acts of interdicting a target while in hyperspace and leaving an untraceable wake signature were both well beyond the capabilities of human technology. Previously, only the wreckage of these ships had been documented. Beginning April 11, 3303, reports surfaced of Unknown Ships apparently attacking Federation convoys. Upon dropping out of supercruise at the source of certain distress calls, Commanders arrived in a green, gaseous cloud and their ship was disabled. Multiple Federal Corvette wrecks, bearing luminescent green residue where they were damaged and with their crews apparently dead, were adrift in the cloud, and a single Unknown Ship could be seen jumping away. Presumably, the Unknown Ship destroyed all of the Corvettes on its own in each incident. On June 2, 3303, CMDR Mobiusetti documented the first known interaction between an Unknown Ship and a Barnacle on Pleiades Sector OI-T C3-7 A 6 at coordinates -42.77, -21.7. This confirmed suspicions that they were related.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8S-4Oq9Xvc Kelvin Masters of the Imperial Herald said the barnacles indicate that the Thargoids were in Maia and Merope long before we were. Humanity has expanded into what the Thargoids see as their territory. Identification and escalation On June 12, 3303, Professor Palin issued a request for scan and wake signature data from Unknown Ships to be delivered to Orcus Crag in Pleiades Sector OI-T c3-7. Palin compared the collected data to older Thargoid samples and confirmed that Unknown Ships were Thargoid in origin. Shortly afterward, Federation military forces seized Palin's research for transport to a Federal research facility, but the fleet never arrived at its destination.Galactic News: The Thargoids have Returned On June 13, wreckage was found with a transmitter which contained a recorded message: "This is an urgent message from Commander Edward Lewis. There are forces out there who do not want you to know the truth, but I have to make this public. I found a ship in HIP 17044. A Federal cap ship, shot to pieces. They were carrying the data the Feds stole from Professor Palin. The crew is dead, but they discovered something important about the Unknown Ships. There is a beacon in the wreckage broadcasting a message, over and over. It proves what we suspected. They are back. And the whole galaxy needs to know. The Thargoids have returned." Two unnamed Farragut Battle Cruisers were located at an Unregistered Comms Beacon approximately 11,000 ls in the direction of the Asterope system from planet 2 in the HIP 17044 system. The capital ships and an accompanying fleet of smaller Federal ships were all heavily damaged, their crews presumably dead, and adrift in the same green, gaseous cloud noted to be a signature of previous Unknown Ship attacks. A transmitter satellite was found among the debris. One Farragut was also discovered to be broadcasting a recording in Morse code in a small, 30-meter zone around its antenna array: "UNKNOWN VESSELS DETECTED. SERVER PURGE FAILED. SHIP ASSETS LIQUIDATED. PAYLOAD DESTROYED. SHIP STATUS LOST."Frontier Forums: Alien archeology and other mysteries: Thread 10 - The Canonn Following the incident, on June 19, the leaders of the Federation, Empire, and Alliance responded to the news that the aliens encountered in the Pleiades Nebula were Thargoids. President Zachary Hudson confirmed that the Federal military had been expanding in recent months in preparation for such a possibility. Emperor Arissa Lavigny-Duval urged calm and reminded the public that humanity had overcome seemingly insurmountable odds in the past. Prime Minister Edmund Mahon called for caution, arguing that it had not yet been proven that the destroyed Federal ships were the victims of Thargoid attacks, and that much could be learned from an advanced alien race like the Thargoids.Galactic News: Galactic Leaders Address Thargoid Discovery Thargoid Surface Sites Following the incident, CMDRs identified an unknown signal at a listening post in Maia that lead to heavily guarded relay posts. The final listening post had a Caesar Cypher encrypted location for the "nest". They traced it to planet B 1 C in HIP 19026. There, CMDR Lightningwing of The Canonn discovered the first known Thargoid Surface Site./r/EliteDangerous: A mystery is afoot/r/EliteDangerous: (SPOILERS) Mysterious Structures Found By Cannon group These contain functional thargoid Technology. Pleiades buildup and research efforts In the wake of the earlier discoveries concerning the Thargoids, numerous state-sponsored and independent initiatives were launched to expand humanity's presence in the Pleiades Nebula. The Indra, a Wells-class Carrier Megaship, was built and deployed by the Empire to HR 1185.Galactic News: New Superpower Bases in the Pleiades The Federation established Blackmount Orbital and Blackmount Habitation in HIP 17692 to monitor Thargoid activity.Community Goal: New Federal Outpost The Oracle, an Ocellus station, was relocated to Pleiades Sector IR-W d1-55 to serve as an independent hub for scientific research on the Thargoids.Galactic News: New Research Centre at Thargoid Site Abroin Universal Plc led a campaign to establish their own Thargoid research base in the Pleiades.Community Goal: Pleiades Research Outpost The Federation, Empire, and Alliance jointly funded the creation of Aegis, a research organization intended to pool the scientific expertise of the three superpowers to coordinate investigations of the Thargoids; Aegis deployed a station named Donar's Oak to Pleiades Sector IR-W d1-55.Galactic News: Joint Superpower Initiative Announced Sirius Corporation established two outposts in the Merope system, the station Reed's Rest and the surface port Omega Prospect.Galactic News: Sirius Corporation Enters Merope On August 11, 3303, the Alliance launched a research initiative to build a range of state-of-the-art instruments to analyze various Thargoid materials, such as Unknown Ship Signatures and other objects recovered from Thargoid Surface Sites.Community Goal: Alliance Research Initiative The campaign was a success, but due to the nature of the research it would take some time for any results to be achieved.Galactic News: Alliance Campaign Concludes With events unfolding at a rapid pace, the superpowers had until recently struggled to formulate appropriate responses to the Thargoid situation. While Aegis' establishment suggested that the galaxy's leaders were beginning to address the issue, journalist Kelvin Masters offered a more frank analysis in an Imperial Herald article on August 25, 3303: "The barnacles seem to indicate that the Thargoids were in Maia and Merope long before we were. For all we know, humanity has expanded into what the Thargoids see as their territory. I have no interest in scaremongering, but my belief is that a Thargoid attack could be imminent – their behaviour certainly seems to suggest they are probing us for weaknesses."Galactic News: The Thargoid Situation Enemies of the Federation On September 15, 3303, Chief of Federal Security Admiral Aden Tanner announced that another Thargoid attack had recently occurred in Pleiades Sector IR-W D1-55 which resulted in the destruction of multiple Federal vessels, including one Farragut Battle Cruiser. While the motives for this attack were unknown, Admiral Tanner confirmed that the Thargoids were now officially considered enemies of the Federation. President Hudson gave Tanner full authority over the Federal Navy to deal with the Thargoid threat.Galactic News: Federal Capital Ship Destroyed by Thargoids Amid speculation that Federal forces had provoked the attack, the Federation insisted that black box data from the wreckage indicated no provocation on their part; this was confirmed by Aegis, which had also analyzed data from the attack.Galactic News: Federation Addresses Rumours The incident spurred all three superpowers to widen Aegis' remit to focus on both research and defence on September 21, 3303. The organization's budget was dramatically increased, and it recruited the Engineers Liz Ryder and Professor Palin to produce a new anti-Thargoid weapon and a scanner for Thargoid ships, respectively.Galactic News: Aegis to Widen RemitCommunity Goal: Engineers Appeal for Thargoid Material Events The Return On September 26, 3303, independent pilots reported being attacked unprovoked by Thargoid Interceptors at Non-Human Signal Sources. At least one of these attacks, in which CMDR Sapphire Horizons was the victim, occurred at a site with wreckage from an Imperial convoy, which was believed to have been destroyed by the Thargoid ship.r/EliteDangerous: So I just got killed by a ThargoidGalactic News: Further Thargoid Attacks In addition, Interceptors have demonstrated extreme hostility against any Guardian artefacts jettisoned in their vicinity, using their weapons to destroy them.r/EliteDangerous: They seriously don't like Guardian stuff monkaS New Barnacle sites have also been identified, with a greater concentration of the Structures and an octagonal formation that resembles a nascent Thargoid Surface Site.r/EliteDangerous: The new barnacle site grows in a familiar pattern...credit to CMDR PinPiper Aegis released the AX Missile Rack and AX Xeno Scanner on September 28, 3303. These new devices allowed CMDRs to both scan Interceptors and successfully penetrate their defenses for the first time, a major milestone.PSA: AX Missile Rack and AX Xeno Scanner Now AvailableThargoid Down! - SDC! However, it was also discovered that the Thargoids had begun attacking independent civilian vessels. A heavily-damaged Megaship identified as Samson Class Bulk Cargo Ship BTG-237 was found in Pleiades Sector IR-W d1-55, near planet A 5, the victim of Thargoid aggression.Something new has happened in pleiades Sector IR-W D1-55.. To cap off a day filled with new developments, wreckage from a new type of Thargoid vessel, the Thargoid Scout, was also discovered on planet A 3 A in the HIP 17125 system.r/EliteDangerous: Elite Dangerous 2.4 new Unknown Ship (crashed) Hip 17125 A 3 A -65.8193 | 48.8662 Despite early successes against the Thargoids in battle thanks to the AX Missile Rack, by October 3rd the Thargoid vessels had adapted by developing a resistance to the damaging compound within the missiles. Reports also indicated that countermeasures like chaff could no longer prevent Interceptors from locking on, that the Interceptors had begun evading long-range attacks more effectively, and that Thargon drone swarms had become much more accurate.Galactic News: Thargoids Adapting Rapidly On October 5th, the AX Multi-cannon was released. Combined with an AX Missile Rack to expose Thargoid Hearts on Interceptors, this new weapon was able to circumvent the Thargoid's adaptation. Two other anti-Thargoid countermeasures, the Remote Release Flak Launcher and Shutdown Field Neutraliser, were made available over the following weeks, making human pilots more effective against their alien adversaries. On October 6, 3303, Aegis' military liaison Admiral Aden Tanner confirmed that in recent days, Federal, Imperial, and civilian ships alike had been targeted and destroyed by Thargoids, and that the aliens were scanning the wreckage and seizing escape pods. Tanner reaffirmed that Aegis was dedicated to unraveling the Thargoids' motives.Galactic News: Thargoid Threat Continues to Escalate On October 12, an Aegis spokesperson confirmed that as well as adapting their defenses to human weapons technology, the Thargoids were also rapidly adapting to human strategies and tactics.Galactic News: Thargoids Continuing to Adapt On October 27, as losses of Federal Farragut Battle Cruisers and Imperial Majestic Class Interdictors continued to mount, Admiral Tanner noted that although recent developments like the Shutdown Field Neutraliser had proven effective in protecting conventional spacecraft from Thargoid attacks, difficulties had been encountered in adapting the technology to larger spacecraft. As a result of capital ships' continued vulnerability, Tanner warned that deploying such vessels to protect stations and outposts was not a viable defensive strategy against Thargoids for the time being.Galactic News: Capital Ships Vulnerable to Thargoid Attack Operation Andronicus On November 2, 3303, Aegis launched Operation Andronicus, the first military operation intended to curb Thargoid aggression in the Pleiades Nebula. Admiral Tanner stated that Aegis would be offering substantial monetary rewards to independent pilots for confirmed Thargoid kills.Community Goal: Operation Andronicus While Operation Andronicus was in effect, the Alliance organization Cooper Research Associates also announced they would reward pilots for the recovery of personal effects and escape pods from Thargoid attack sites.Community Goal: Rescue Operation in the Pleiades The operation concluded a week later, and both campaigns were hailed as successes.Galactic News: Operation Andronicus ConcludesGalactic News: Pleiades Rescue Operation Concludes Enter the Basilisks On November 13, 3303, the first sightings of a new variant of Thargoid Interceptor were reported by independent pilots in the Electra system. Classified as the "Basilisk Variant" by the Pilots Federation, these heavily scarred Interceptors possessed demonstrably more powerful offensive and defensive capabilities.Galactic News: Previously Unseen Thargoid Ships in Electra Prior to this, only Cyclops Variant Thargoid Interceptors had been encountered. As Basilisk Variants and Cyclops Variants have yet to demonstrate any hostility towards each other, it is unknown if the presence of Basilisk Variants represents an escalation in the ongoing conflict between Thargoids and humans, or the arrival of a second Thargoid faction in the region./r/EliteDangerous: Threat 6 USS in Electra With casualties from Thargoid attacks continuing to mount, President Zachary Hudson and Emperor Arissa Lavigny-Duval issued statements to reassure the public, insisting that the Thargoid presence would likely remain limited to the Pleiades Nebula and that the combined forces of the Federation and Empire could overcome any threat. Despite this optimism, Admiral Aden Tanner stated it was premature to assert that the Thargoids would not advance beyond the Pleiades, but that Aegis was actively investigating the Thargoids' long-term plans.Galactic News: Galactic Authorities Call for Calm The Pleiades aflame Station attacks and Medusae December 14, 3303 marked the most serious escalation of the Thargoid conflict yet. The stations Titan's Daughter in Taygeta, The Oracle in Pleiades Sector IR-W d1-55, and Liman Legacy in HIP 16753 were attacked and severely damaged by Thargoids, disrupting services and making the stations dangerously unstable.YouTube: Commander Chronicles: Devastation - Elite Dangerous Emergency evacuation protocols were activated, and the Pilots Federation extracted the ships of the independent pilots docked at the affected Stations and transferred them to Rescue Vessels. Pilots were encouraged to aid the ongoing evacuation of the stations' inhabitants./r/EliteDangerous: So the Thargoids(?) Attacked a Station. Images Courtesy of CMDR Bad_Player The attacks were confirmed to have been carried out by a new variant of Thargoid Interceptor classified as the "Medusa Variant".Galactic News: Starports Attacked by Thargoids These ships also began interdicting pilots from hyperspace and appearing in Threat 7 Non-Human Signal Sources. Medusae surpass the capabilities of Basilisk Variant Interceptors, possessing even stronger defenses, more powerful weapons, and the ability to direct an even larger swarm of Thargon drones./r/EliteDangerous: So the Thargoids(?) Attacked a Station. Images Courtesy of CMDR Bad_Player - Comment by ChristianM The death toll from the station attacks was believed to be in the thousands, but could have been far worse. Starport security feeds indicate that the Medusa Interceptors used their shutdown fields to disable station defenses before targeting the main reactor. An eyewitness speculated that the Thargoids' intent was to cripple the stations, not destroy them outright. While it was not clear why the Thargoids had targeted these three stations specifically and not others, Aegis was investigating the issue.Galactic News: Authorities Urge Public Not to Panic The following week on December 21, as the three stations were stabilized and repair work began on them, further attacks were reported at Bao Landing in HIP 17497, Cavalieri in Electra, and Hudson Observatory in HIP 17694.Imgur: Galactic News: Starport Status Update, December 21, 3303 Medusa Interceptors were once again confirmed to be the culprits, and hundreds more human casualties were tallied.Galactic News: More Starports Attacked Three more attacks occurred two weeks later on January 4, 3304 at Copernicus Observatory in Asterope, Cyllene Orbital in Atlas, and Artemis Lodge in Celaeno, followed by two attacks on January 11 at Obsidian Orbital in Maia and Reed's Rest in Merope.GalNet: Thargoid Assault Continues The Liberation of HIP 17692 Also on January 11, the Federation and Empire announced a joint initiative to counter Thargoid activity in the HIP 17692 system and attempt to reduce the Thargoids' presence in the Pleiades. The Empire-aligned Merope Expeditionary Fleet took charge of military operations, while the Federation-aligned Pleiades Resource Enterprise coordinated the rescue of attack survivors, personal effects, and data. Fleet Admiral Denton Patreus stated, "Starports throughout the Pleiades have been attacked. Thousands of lives have been lost. And we have failed to deliver an effective response. That changes now."The Liberation of HIP 17692 The operation marked just over a year since the first encounter with an active Thargoid Interceptor. Political commentator Daxton Sung offered an analysis: "The situation continues to escalate and our leaders continue to offer the same tired platitudes – militaristic bombast from Hudson, noncommittal banalities from Lavigny-Duval and earnest sympathising from Mahon. It's clear that they have no idea how to counter the Thargoid threat, beyond pumping more money into Aegis's weapons programme."One Year On Advance on the Core Systems While the HIP 17692 operation proved to be a success,GalNet: HIP 17692 Operation Concludes Thargoid attacks on stations continued unabated on January 18, striking Kipling Orbital in Pleiades Sector KC-V c2-11 and Malthus Terminal in Pleiades Sector HR-W d1-41. After these attacks, a member of Kipling Orbital's starport personnel noted that the Thargoids seemed to be sweeping the region and slowly moving towards the Core Systems.Starport Attacks Continue On January 25, Borrego's Vision in Pleiades Sector IH-V c2-7 and Kamov Survey in HIP 17892 were hit. On February 1, Asami Orbital in Pleiades Sector JC-V d2-62 and Cleaver Prospect in Pleiades Sector HR-W d1-57 suffered attacks; both stations were significantly closer to the Core Systems that the targets of the previous attacks. On February 8, Bennington's Restin 42 n Persei and Exodus Point in Hyades Sector AB-W b2-2 were attacked, continuing the trend of the Thargoids' movements. President Zachary Hudson and Emperor Arissa Lavigny-Duval both issued fresh appeals for aid for the affected stations, and the Emperor also confirmed that Aegis was actively investigating the Thargoids' shift toward the Core Systems.Galactic Leaders Renew Appeals for Aid On February 15, Gaiman Dock in 49 Arietis and Weyn Dock in 64 Arietis were hit, marking the Thargoids' arrival in the outer fringe of the Core Systems. As the public questioned the lack of an effective military response to the Thargoids, Imperial Senator Gianna Tachibana asserted that humanity was being reactive rather than proactive, and that the Pleiades were at risk of becoming a no-go zone even with the assistance of independent pilot militias and Aegis's research.Galactic News: Proactive or Reactive? Meanwhile, the Federation launched the Bulwark Project, an initiative to develop autonomous military hardware to combat the Thargoids. While Imperial commentators criticized the initiative as a circumvention of long-standing conventions against the development of artificial intelligence, Federal Shadow President Felicia Winters dismissed those concerns, claiming that the Bulwark Project's purpose was to "investigate alternate defence strategies, not to develop machine intelligence".Galactic News: The Bulwark Project The Bulwark Project campaign was later successful, but Winters was careful to note that the Project's initial remit was merely to determine the economic and military feasibility of the creation of a fully-automated defence force.GalNet: Federal Initiative Concludes On February 22, Armstrong Enterprise in Bhal and Beaufoy Vision in Nauni, both locations within the Core Systems, suffered Thargoid attacks. Coinciding with these latest incidents, Fleet Admiral Patreus coordinated a second Federal-Imperial joint operation against the Thargoids, this time centered on the Pleiades Sector OI-T c3-7 and Arietis Sector XE-Z b4 systems.GalNet: Anti-Thargoid Operation The operation was subsequently declared a success.GalNet: Federal-Imperial Operation Concludes Notably, no additional Thargoid attacks occurred on March 1, marking the first lull in the incursion, although sightings and encounters with Thargoid Interceptors began occurring at various locations within the Core Systems, with hostile Thargoid Scout Marauders now appearing as well.GalNet: Week in Review (March 3, 3304) Eagle Eye On March 9, Aegis unveiled a new initiative called Eagle Eye. Six orbital surveillance installations were set up in HIP 17225, HIP 17692, HIP 17892, HR 1185, Pleiades Sector IR-W d1-55, and Pleiades Sector KC-V c2-4 in order to monitor known Thargoid Surface Sites and collect data on Thargoid behavior outside of combat zones.GalNet: Thargoid Surveillance in the Pleiades By March 16, Aegis reported that Eagle Eye was already producing results. According to Admiral Tanner, the installations were able to track fluctuations in transmissions originating from Thargoid Surface Sites, and that these transmissions pointed to specific locations in human space which were likely future Thargoid attack targets. Tanner urged independent pilots to investigate a new set of signals detected by Eagle Eye to help thwart the Thargoids' plans.GalNet: Thargoid Surveillance Continues War in the Core The Purge of Socho With the Thargoids now wreaking havoc well within the Core Systems, Aegis began coordinating the first counterattack. On March 15, 3304, Aegis Core announced an anti-Thargoid campaign in its home system of Socho. The operation's goal was not only to expel Thargoid forces from Socho, but to obtain specific technological components from Thargoid Interceptors and Scouts for comparison research.GalNet: The Purge of Socho The operation concluded successfully.GalNet: Socho Operation Complete Revelations On March 22, 3304, Aegis published a report containing significant insights into the Thargoids that had been gleaned with the help of Ram Tah and his Guardian research. The findings indicated that the Thargoids had warred with the Guardians because of the latter's perceived encroachment on territory that the Thargoids had seeded with Barnacles millennia earlier. Despite attempts by the Guardians to communicate with the Thargoids, the Thargoids' survival instincts were so strong that they refused to tolerate any potential threat and continued hostilities until the Guardians eventually expelled them using automated war machines. Professor Alba Tesreau commented that the Guardians' situation mirrored humanity's own: the Thargoids had long ago seeded territory that humans had unknowingly expanded into, and the current conflict was essentially a dispute over territory and resources. Tesreau asserted that the next step the Thargoids would take would be to aggressively mine mineral resources. Ram Tah noted that these revelations finally provided some answers about the Thargoids' overall goals and could ultimately aid humanity in the conflict.GalNet: Thargoid Revelations Onslaught and trepidation The same day as Aegis's report made waves in the media, the station Glazkov Terminal in Irandan was attacked by the Thargoids after a month of relative calm. Both Irandan and HIP 21559 had been identified as likely targets for imminent Thargoid attacks by Eagle Eye, but only the latter system had seen a heavy influx of independent combat pilots come to its defense over the preceding week. The attack on Glazkov Terminal would be only the first of a fresh wave of attacks that would strike deep within the Core Systems. On March 30, Doyle Landing in Lunguni fell victim of the Thargoids. On April 12, Guidoni Enterprise in HIP 9599 was attacked. On April 19, Weil Station in Kunuvii and Eyharts Enterprise in 32 c Piscium were attacked, along with six Bulk Cruiser Megaships found disabled across the LP 581-36, Chan Mina, Deriv-Dar, and Nankul systems. On April 26, Acton Dock in LP 581-36 was attacked. On May 3, Sturckow Port in SPOCS 253 was attacked. No stations were attacked during the weeks of May 10, May 17, May 24, May 31, June 7, and June 14 as pilots successfully rallied to the defense of the targeted systems. Meanwhile, also on March 22, Yuri Grom of the EG Pilots launched a campaign led by the EG Union to construct a new shipyard in CPC 20 6743. A spokesperson for the EG Union explained that the shipyard would construct new Farragut Battle Cruisers to bolster humanity's defenses against a Thargoid invasion.GalNet: EG Union Campaign On March 30, Admiral Tanner formally debuted Aegis's two new military Megaships, the Acropolis and the Vanguard, explaining that they would serve as mobile command centers for anti-Thargoid operations.GalNet: Anti-Thargoid Megaships Deployed by Aegis On April 6, the Privateers Alliance and the Atlas Corporation both took similar approaches to fortifying the Core Systems against the Thargoids. The Privateers Alliance launched a campaign to build a military installation in HIP 33368,GalNet: Privateers Alliance Campaign while the Atlas Corporation began work on the ACS Overwatch Megaship in Lambda Arae.GalNet: The ACS Overwatch Despite Aegis's proven successes in the conflict, Princess Aisling Duval controversially criticized the organization on April 6, stating that she and many other galactic citizens were concerned that Aegis lacked a clear, long-term strategy to combat the Thargoids and was being reactive rather than proactive.GalNet: Aisling Duval Criticises Aegis While the Princess's opinion had its share of detractors who spoke out in defense of Aegis, others noted that Aegis lacked transparency and had done little to assuage the widespread fear of alien conquest among the public.Support for Aisling Duval On April 25, Simguru Pranav Antal of the Utopia movement addressed an even more controversial possibility: humanity could lose the war against the Thargoids. The Simguru urged galactic citizens to join Utopia and help protect the Sim-Archive to ensure that humanity could live beyond its potential extinction.GalNet: Utopia Plans for Humanity's Extinction Pranav Antal's pessimism quickly triggered a backlash from such figures as Shadow President Felicia Winters, Sirius Corporation CEO Li Yong-Rui, and Admiral Tanner.GalNet: Antal's Pessimism Triggers Backlash Nonetheless, Utopia doubled down on the Simguru's statement on May 4, 3304 by launching a project to construct a military installation in its home system of Antal to defend the Sim-Archive from potential Thargoid attack.GalNet: Defending the Sim-Archive Thargoid worshipers Meanwhile, as the Thargoid conflict wore on, journalists and scholars began discussing the phenomenon of fringe doomsayer cults proliferating throughout the Core Systems. Independent reporter Gethin Okonkwo published an article on May 19 revealing that dozens of such cults had emerged, and while their natures varied, they were all adamant that the Thargoid conflict was a sign of an imminent apocalypse.GalNet: Fringe Doomsayer Cults on the Rise On June 16, exotheologian Dr. Alfred Ulyanov highlighted one unnamed cult that even worshiped the Thargoids as harbingers of an extra-dimensional, omnipotent being they called the Far God. The cult's followers believed that only they would survive the Far God's manifestation in this universe, and gathered in hive-chapels patterned after Thargoid vessel and structure designs.GalNet: Worshipping the Thargoids The "Far God cult", as the sect came to be called, quickly garnered hostile reactions from the public despite local authorities' calls for tolerance and the cultists' own silent refusal to defend themselves or even plead for protection.GalNet: Thargoid-Worshipping Cult Garners Hostility Mistrust of the cult only continued to grow, however, and on July 5 reporter Flint "Firemaker" Lafosse stoked tensions further with speculation that the reclusive Thargoid cult was a "fifth column" of brainwashed abduction victims sent back to human systems as spies and saboteurs.GalNet: A Thargoid Fifth Column? On July 11, 3304, the Church of the Eternal Void, another doomsayer cult that worshiped the Guardians, publicly denounced the Far God cult and declared a holy war against it. In response, security forces in multiple systems issued reminders that the Thargoid cult was a legally-recognized religion.GalNet: Fringe Religion Condemns Far God Cult This did not deter the Church from inciting numerous attacks against the Far God cult across multiple systems. Several of the sect's places of worship were firebombed, resulting in dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries. The Far God cultists offered no resistance to the aggression, and even refused to leave their burning hive-chapels.GalNet: Far God Cult Attacked On July 25, after hundreds of cultists had been killed, the Church of the Eternal Void was declared illegal by local authorities in every system where it operated, and the Church's leadership was arrested for inciting violence against the Far God cult.GalNet: Guardian-Worshipping Church Declared Illegal Only days later on August 3, the Federal Intelligence Agency launched an investigation into the Far God cult. Several members of the sect were arrested for interrogation, which FIA Senior Agent Micah Whitefield declared was a necessary action to confirm that they were no in contact with Thargoid forces or being influenced by them.GalNet: Far God Cult under Investigation As the focus of the arrests expanded to the entire cult, Senior Agent Whitefield insisted that the operation was a security matter that was justified under Federal law in wartime. Media channels reported a division in public opinion regarding the FIA's actions.GalNet: Further Arrests of Far God Cultists On August 23, the Federal Intelligence Agency reported that Far God cult members were disappearing in large numbers. Hive-chapels in Federal space raided by the FIA were found empty, and reports from independent systems stated that entire chapters of the cult were disappearing overnight. Senior Agent Whitefield believed that the cultists were attempting to leave the cult and return to normal life, but here were no known cases of Far God cultists returning to their friends or family, and the disappearances remained a mystery.GalNet: Far God Cultists Vanishing Independent pilots tracking leads provided by Aegis's Eagle Eye array uncovered vital clues explaining the disappearances of the Far God cultists. Two compounds belonging to the cult were discovered in the Etain system: "The Prophet" at Etain 4 C, and "The Sanctum" at Etain 4 A. Both sites had recently been attacked by Thargoids, and while there was no indication of survivors, personal audio logs recorded by the cultists revealed that they had retreated from their hive-chapels elsewhere and gathered at these secluded locations to be placed into cryogenic stasis while awaiting the arrival of the Far God and their expected ascendancy.Elite Dangerous Etain Abandoned Settlement Logs On September 21, independent reporter Gethin Okonkwo, who was previously thought missing, revealed that he had been living undercover within the Far God cult for the past three months. In an op-ed piece, Mr. Okonkwo shared his experiences: "At no point did I see evidence of actual contact with the Thargoids, bar the occasional use of alien material as holy artefacts. Most worshippers are essentially fatalists, attracted to the idea of an apocalypse. Some are convinced that they alone will survive the Far God's manifestation. It is a strange and often contradictory faith, but no less so than other religions. I recorded my experiences within the sect using concealed micro-cameras. I am voluntarily sharing this data with the Federal Intelligence Agency to prove that the Far God sect is not dangerous, and with the hope of ending its persecution."GalNet: Inside the Far God Cult Senior Agent Micah Whitefield announced on September 29 that the FIA had closed its investigation of the Far God cult. Whitefield told the media: "The information provided by Gethin Okonkwo on the inner workings of the Far God sect has been verified as genuine. In the absence of any evidence regarding communication with the Thargoids, our investigation is concluded. All worshippers who were detained have now been released. We are indebted to Mr Okonkwo for his highly detailed report. We had hoped to gain similar insights via our own undercover agent, who infiltrated the sect, but we are still awaiting his report."GalNet: Far God Cult Investigation Ends A fleeting victory On June 21, 3304, the Thargoids ended humanity's string of victories with an attack on Hennepin Prospect in Assinda. The attack appeared to be an outlier rather than an indication of Thargoid resurgence, however, as Eagle Eye did not intercept any new signals from Thargoid sites, and all Eagle Eye installations began transmitting the same message: "no new signal detected thargoid activity unknown initiate protocol xeno 55". That same day, Aegis also declared that the Thargoids were retreating from the Core Systems and had been pushed back to their original beachhead of Bhal. Admiral Tanner thanked Commanders for their efforts in defending the Core Systems, but noted that while Thargoid incursions had been reversed in many regions, the Thargoids remained entrenched in the Pleiades Nebula.GalNet: Thargoids Repelled from Core Systems On June 28, Aegis reported that Eagle Eye had detected a massive surge in Thargoid transmissions. Admiral Tanner asserted that the previous week's lull in activity in the Core Systems must have been only a brief delay while the Thargoids regrouped and summoned reinforcements from the Pleiades. Tanner issued an emergency call for aid for Garay Terminal in Deciat, which Eagle Eye identified as the Thargoids' main target; a number of disabled megaships had already been found in the system. A transmission from an unknown Commander in the Deciat system also indicated that a new type of Thargoid Scout was present among the invading force.GalNet: Thargoid Assault on the Deciat System Three new types of Scouts were subsequently identified: the Berserker, the Regenerator, and the Inciter. The Berserker is a more powerful and aggressive variant of the Marauder, while the Regenerator possesses the ability to restore the hull of other damaged Scouts and the Inciter can enhance their weaponry. While Deciat was successfully defended against the Thargoid assault, Eagle Eye confirmed on July 5, 3304 that the Thargoids had resumed their original pattern of activity, targeting systems for an eventual attack and massing their forces there in preparation for it. Parise Station in Tembala was attacked on July 12, followed by Metcalf Station in HIP 44811 on July 19, both Preuss Terminal in Di Jian and Zudov Hub in RMK 6 on July 26, and Plucker Enterprise in Dhanhopi on August 2. Settlement attacks and crash sites Meanwhile, independent pilots patrolling the Pleiades Nebula discovered various listening posts that were monitoring certain planetside locations in various systems. Upon investigation, each site was found to be either a surface settlement or a crashed ship that had been attacked by Thargoids shortly after their return. Among the sites were the settlements Dominic's Corner, Scrump Landing, Sharpe Works, Site 94, Betterton Outpost, Penal Colony BV-2259, Comms Facility 89563, Research Base LV 8, Research Base KG-3362, and a crashed Anaconda named "The Bug Killer". While some of the settlements managed to evacuate before they were attacked, others were not so lucky, and recovered logs indicated that some survivors may have been abducted by the Thargoids. Peculiarly, a number of the logs also noted abrupt, widespread temperature decreases that preceded or coincided with the Thargoid attacks. More recent attack sites were found on August 30: The Prophet and The Sanctum, two compounds that belonged to the Far God cult. Hydras emerge A fourth Thargoid Interceptor type, the "Hydra Variant", began appearing on August 28, 3304 in Threat Level 9 Non-Human Signal Sources.r/EliteDangerous: New thargoid interceptors (Threat 9) The Hydra exhibited even more complex structural features than the Medusa, most notably four additional rotating petals behind the standard eight petals, as well as a vivid green coloration. Following the trend of the previous Interceptor variants, the Hydra's offensive and defensive capabilities demonstrated a significant increase over its predecessors, making it the Thargoids' most fearsome weapon yet.XboxDVR: NEW INTERCEPTOR - HYDRA CONFIRMED The Hydras' emergence coincided with the sudden and unexplained disappearance of all Thargoid Scouts from the Core Systems and the Pleiades Nebula that week.Canonn Research: Special Eagle Eye Report Week 26 – 01/09/3304 The Pilots Federation confirmed independent pilots' reports of the new ship the following day. Admiral Aden Tanner also provided Aegis's preliminary findings: "We can confirm that this new ship – classified as the Hydra – is a variant of the Thargoid Interceptor. It is structurally stronger than the Cyclops, Basilisk or Medusa, and releases a larger swarm of Thargon drones." In response to this development, the Pilots Federation sealed off the Cone Sector FN-J b9-0 system, which was believed to contain high concentrations of Hydra Interceptors. Despite this, The Gnosis, flagship of the Canonn Interstellar Research Group, confirmed that it would still attempt to jump into the now permit-locked system as scheduled on September 6.GalNet: New Thargoid Interceptor Encountered Shortly after The Gnosis began the jump to Cone Sector FN-J b9-0 from Outotz ST-I d9-4 on September 6, it was interrupted by a Thargoid attack. Captain Mathius Leander of the Gnosis command crew transmitted the following emergency message: "We were a short way into our journey when the Gnosis was hyperdicted by a group of Thargoid vessels. The wrench back into real space caused severe internal damage to multiple systems, including the frame shift drive. There's no doubt that we would have been destroyed if not for some of the Commanders travelling with us. They lured the Thargoids away while ejecting meta-alloys from their holds. The aliens were more interested in scooping up the meta-alloys than attacking us. The Commanders later reported that the Thargoid vessels were the recently identified Hydra Interceptors. The Gnosis is currently adrift close to the eighth planet of the Outotz ST-I d9-6 system. We have begun essential repairs, but there is a risk that the Thargoids may return before we can escape the system."GalNet: Gnosis Stranded The Thargoids ceased their attacks on The Gnosis and retreated from the system on September 13, 3304. The Gnosis was able complete repairs and departed on September 27. Expanded offensive Beginning on October 11, 3304, the Thargoids increased the scale of their attacks from two stations per cycle to three. This proved effective enough to overwhelm humanity's defenses, as every week afterward through December 3304, one to two targeted stations suffered severe damage from the Thargoids. While these stations were still able to recover and begin repairs, the human toll in the war multiplied rapidly compared to previous months. Aegis debuted a new branch, Aegis Defense, on December 27, 3304 following the Thargoids' most devastating attack yet. Five systems were beset by Incursions, resulting in simultaneous attacks against five stations: Behnken Gateway in Wuli, Bethke Ring in Werapana, Cavalieri in Electra, May Gateway in Kupol Vuh, and Mendez Terminal in Jormbu. With the Acropolis and Vanguard either missing or withdrawn, Aegis instead deployed five new Megaships to the afflicted systems to serve as additional bulwarks for independent pilots fighting the Thargoids in AX Conflict Zones. In addition, GalNet began posting the automatically-updated Thargoid Activity Report, which tracked Thargoid activity levels in systems experiencing an Incursion alongside repair progress for previously damaged stations. As the conflict entered 3305, the increasing number of Thargoid attacks began overwhelming human defenses, leaving an ever larger trail of damaged stations that volunteers were struggling to aid. More stations were attacked in first quarter of 3305 than in the whole of 3304. Admiral Aden Tanner discussed the concentrated assault on April 18, 3305: "What's surprising is that the Thargoids aren't targeting our most important social or military centres, such as the superpowers' home systems. There's no doubt that they're trying to weaken us, but evidently they're guided by different principles than those that typically govern human martial strategy. What we can say is this: with capital ships of limited use against Thargoid craft, independent combat pilots remain our best defence against the Thargoids."GalNet: Thargoids Wreak Havoc in Core Systems Aegis also announced that it had formally entered a partnership with Ram Tah to boost the production of Guardian-derived modules, which would hopefully increase their availability to anti-Thargoid pilots.GalNet: Aegis Forms Partnership with Ram Tah Frontier resurgence Meta-Alloy shortage On July 4, 3305, reports emerged that harvests of Meta-Alloys were in steep decline, and many known Thargoid Barnacle sites had become exhausted. Professor Alba Tesreau announced an initiative to locate alternative Thargoid Barnacle sites by collecting and analyzing exploration data provided by independent pilots at The Oracle in Delphi.GalNet: Meta-Alloys Reportedly Growing Scarce On July 11, Tesreau revealed that the survey had turned up new sites in the Witch Head Nebula, and the Alliance, Empire, and Federation each launched concurrent resource-gathering campaigns in order to build new infrastructure in the region.GalNet: Alternative Source of Meta-Alloys Identified Coinciding with the Meta-Alloy shortage, on July 11, Aegis reported that Thargoid forces had, in a matter of hours, completely withdrawn from the Core Systems and the Pleiades Nebula with the exception of the Maia and Merope systems. Admiral Aden Tanner explained that Aegis's two main theories for the Thargoids' departure were that their numbers had been depleted or they were reconsidering their strategy. Whatever the cause, Eagle Eye confirmed the development and reported "No Activity Detected" for that cycle. Professor Ishmael Palin urged caution, however, warning that the war with the Thargoids was likely far from over and there was no evidence that human activity had prompted this retreat, especially given the Thargoids' aggressive and territorial nature.GalNet: Thargoids Withdraw from Core Systems On July 18, the Thargoids returned to the Pleiades Nebula in large numbers, attacking three stations without being detected by Eagle Eye and massing in Maia for an attack on Palin Research Centre. Professor Palin and his staff managed to evacuate to the megaship Carson's Spring before the surface port came under fire, but the vessel was attacked and disabled before it could depart Maia. Professor Tesreau asserted that the Thargoids were likely attempting to reassert themselves in their original territorial claim, and requested help from independent pilots in defending Carson's Spring, as local security forces were overwhelmed.GalNet: Thargoids Return to Pleiades Nebula Defense efforts were successful, and Admiral Aden Tanner of Aegis reported that Carson's Spring was able to resume its journey to the Arque system on July 22. Professor Palin began rebuilding his operation at Abel Laboratory on Arque 4 E, GalNet: Carson's Spring Reaches Arque System and resumed his research and services on July 30.GalNet: A New Home for Professor Palin The Enclave On July 25, as Ocellus Starports arrived in six systems in the Witch Head Nebula that had been slated for colonization as part of The Enclave initiative, they were immediately attacked by Thargoid forces that were ostensibly acting to defend their territory. Professor Tesreau called on independent pilots to defend the stations, or else the pioneer factions in charge of the colonization effort would be forced into retreat and access to the new Meta-Alloy sources in the region would consequently be cut off.GalNet: Thargoids Defend Meta-Alloy Sources The response to the request was so impressive that the Pilots Federation opened a new Surface Port with a shipyard, Jackrock Outpost, in the Witch Head Sector LC-V c2-10 system less than a day later as a reward for pilots fighting in the region.Frontier Forums: The Enclave - Overview of Phases All six systems were pronounced clear of Thargoid Incursions by the end of July 27.r/EliteDangerous: In three days, the Anti-Xeno Initiative wiped off every single Thargoid in the Witch Head nebulae Admiral Tanner confirmed the victory on July 31, noting that humanity's colonial assets had been firmly established in the region. Professor Tesreau added that the Alliance, Empire, and Federation had officially declared the Witch Head Nebula to be a human enclave that they would share equally. She also requested the galactic community's assistance in repairing the nebula's starports so that they could begin harvesting the local barnacles.GalNet: Enclave Established in Witch Head Nebula By August 6, the Witch Head Nebula enclave had begun attracting thousands of migrants looking for a fresh start. Among these was Chloe Sedesi, a former apprentice of Professor Palin who sought to establish an Engineering workshop at Cinder Dock in Witch Head Sector DL-Y d17. A Technology Broker and Material Trader also planned to move to the area and set up at Bray Landing and Ratchet Hub.GalNet: Further Migration to Witch Head Nebula The second colonization wave arrived on August 8, resulting in the completion of seven planetary ports, including Chloe Sedesi's workshop. The Technology Broker and Material Trader also arrived ahead of schedule. With repairs to the starports progressing swiftly, Professor Tesreau confirmed that more facilities were planned for the Witch Head Nebula in the coming weeks.GalNet: Witch Head Planetary Ports Established Expansion concluded on September 5, 3305, after six waves of construction. All told, the Witch Head Nebula enclave came to include 16 inhabited systems with 23 ports. Orthrus sighted While the galaxy's eyes focused on the Witch Head Nebula, there was a strange development in the Pleiades. On August 25, 3305, a fifth Thargoid Interceptor type designated the "Orthrus Variant" was spotted by multiple pilots at the abandoned Palin Research Centre on Maia A 3 A. The Orthrus most closely resembled a standard Cyclops, but with new yellow markings and coloration around the cockpit and along the edges of the petals. The cockpit itself appeared to have been reinforced with additional plating, and the body of the vessel was symmetrically dotted with small protrusions of unknown significance. The capabilities of the Orthrus could not be analysed in full, as it fled to hyperspace immediately upon being encountered and did not engage in combat, but pilots were able to determine that it had five Thargoid Hearts and continuously active shields. Orthrus sightings ceased the following week.r/EliteDangerous: NEW THARGOID!Frontier Forums: Thargoid Attacks: Where, When and What you can do about it, post #2496 & 2497 The reprieve The Thargoid attacks on the newly-arrived Witch Head Nebula colonies on July 25, 3305 marked a significant change in the conflict. Following that wave, the Thargoids abruptly ceased launching Incursions, and Eagle Eye detected only nominal Thargoid activity in the same six systems for multiple consecutive cycles. Although Thargoid vessels continued appearing in the Pleiades and Witch Head Nebula and hyperdicting passing human ships, it seemed as though the Thargoids had either reached a point of exhaustion or realised that their strategy to that point was failing to have the desired effect. Humans seized on this reprieve to focus on repairing damage stations, over a hundred of which had come to languish for months as traders struggled to meet the high demand for resources and further Incursions swelled the casualty list. By January 9, 3306, after 22 weeks without any Incursions, the number of stations still undergoing repairs had been reduced to 61 thanks to the tireless efforts of traders and the relief organisation Operation IDA. The lengthy pause in the Second Thargoid War finally ended on January 9, 3306 with Incursions in six systems, three in the Pleiades Nebula and three in the Witch Head Nebula: Asterope, Atlas, Celaeno, Witch Head Sector DL-Y d17, Witch Head Sector FB-X c1-11, and Witch Head Sector HW-W c1-9. The latter three attacks caught the colonists of the Witch Head Nebula off-guard, causing panic and leading to multiple casualties as local pilots fell to increased numbers of Thargoid craft. Professor Alba Tesreau of Aegis commented on January 13 that the Thargoids were likely intent on reclaiming the region for its plentiful barnacle sites. Local authorities began organising a defence force as independent pilots traveled from the distant Core Systems to provide assistance. Rewired pundit Kelvin Masters pointed out that the residents of the Witch Head enclave had become complacent after months of relative peace, and local minor factions were jockeying for influence, abandoning the united front they had previously presented.GalNet: Thargoid Incursions in Witch Head Enclave Impact The Second Thargoid War is an ongoing armed conflict and its total impact cannot be calculated until it concludes. It is known that tens of thousands have perished on both sides since hostilities commenced, and several thousand Thargoid vessels are destroyed on a weekly basis. More exact numbers are difficult to determine, but on December 16, 3305, it was reported that at least 4,788,600 Thargoids had been eliminated since the conflict began. While the Thargoids have attacked multiple human Starports, they only went so far as to cripple the stations rather than destroy them outright, a decision which has resulted in fewer human civilian casualties and allowed several stations to be fully repaired in a matter of months. The station attacks and local skirmishes between human and Thargoid vessels have had little measurable effect on human commerce and the international economy. It is currently impossible to measure the impact of the war on the Thargoids themselves due to the lack of communication. References Category:Lore